© Union Green Golf

Spin: Low

Dimples: Combined AVX dimple plus dimple in dimple design

Compression: Mid

Category Comparison: Value

Spec: (Two) 2 Piece / Layers

Cover: ionomer covers

Core: not specified

Price: $19.99

Titleist Launches New Golf Ball Brand:

Titleist is America's top-selling golf ball brand among Pro-golfers and the good news for today is that its parent company, Acushnet respectively, just launched a brand new brand a few days ago. Enter Union Green, a completely different golf ball according to the official release, which signals Titleist's shift in terms of consumer interaction. So, the next question is: what is Union Green after all's said and done? The ethos of the brand-new, well, brand is: “Golf has the power to unite us all. With Union Green all are welcome.” Basically, think along with the terms of “unity in diversity” or something along these lines, to use SJW parlance, and you're almost there: the new golf ball is aimed at inviting all golfers of all skill levels to have fun.

© Union Green Golf

As we’ve learned from reading the press release, Union Green will be a direct-to-consumer type of business, and the new golf balls will play in the “value” category most probably. The first release from Union Green consists of an affordable 2-piece construction, the Teebird. The Teebird will be focused on, let us quote from Union Green, “astonishingly long-distance”.

Unlike Titleist, Union Green will not commercialize high-end/tour-centric/high-performance golf balls, as it will focus on lifestyle gear, including T-shirts and various golf equipment. If you take a look at Union Green's official website, you can even see players wearing their golf-hats backward, or wearing sneakers, which means that the company is trying to win the hearts and minds of the younger generation. Also, the home page of the website proudly proclaims that, let us quote:

“Union Green is for people who head to the first tee just as they are and love to play the game on their own terms. They play for fun, to escape the routine, and find the golf course as the perfect place to connect with the people who share their passion. We recognize and embrace players who respect quality and performance yet are looking for golf to be no nonsense, no frills, all enjoyment. All are welcome.”

According to the company, Union Green is the direct result of consumer research and it makes for some type of hybrid golf-consumer thing:

“Acushnet does extensive research and is always looking to connect with consumers to better understand what motivates them to play golf and purchase golf equipment. During its research, they identified a group of consumers that were less traditional and weren't currently loyal to any one particular brand. Acushnet aims to reach these consumers through this new brand. The target for Union Green is a consumer that enjoys playing golf but does not identify themselves as a golfer. These consumers may not have grown up with a deep love and respect for the tradition of golf, but their casual engagement with the game shouldn't be dismissed as a lack of passion.”

We don’t know much about the tech details of the new golf balls, but that’s ok, considering the target audience of the Teebird, i.e. people who are not obsessed with the latest urethane mixtures or the high-tech compounds found inside the core, to make them quicker and all that. Union Green is everything about value for money and simplicity to the point. It will be interesting to see if the “let’s target millennials in a funny and affordable way”” strategy will work. Stay tuned.

– Compression Video

– Spin Video

– Dimples Video

– Golf Ball Brands Video

– Titleist Video

– Understanding Spin Video